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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The rainy season has officially begun here in lovely western Oregon. And boy was it rainy today! It was coming down in torrents and way too many streets got flooded thanks to storm drains that were clogged with fallen leaves.

Can I just say I wanted to stay home today? Instead, I went to visit my rheumatologist, whose office is way across town. If I get lucky, it's only about a 15 minute drive. But I didn't get lucky, and it was well over 45 minutes.

To be honest, I wish I'd gone with my first inclination, which was to call and reschedule. My hands have been hurting so much that I really dreaded the drive, but I thought hey, maybe going to see him when I'm having a lousy day will help clarify things for him.

Instead, it clarified things for me: I need to find a new rheumatologist, preferably on this side of town.

My rheumatologist has given up and just shrugs off anything new that I bring up. My hands have swollen knuckles? Eh, they've done x-rays of my hands and feet before that don't show any joint damage. No big deal. My fatigue is up? Probably just the time change.

Mind you, I don't know what I wanted him to do about it. But I felt patronized when he told me, yet again, to just "push through it" when fatigue and pain limit my functionality. Which would be nice, if I could actually manage to do it. But how could he think I haven't tried over the nearly 4.5 years since I got sick?

5 comments:

Yes, it is time to find a new doctor and more for better care then traveling time. Good luck on your quest. But until you find that new doc and know you are both a great match, keep your current future appointment on the books for your old ra doc. You can always cancel it if you find the perfect ra doc. Sometimes I wish these doctors could walk in our shoes for just one day!

Last time I saw my endo she looked at me as I talked, and I swear she would have rolled her eyes if she could have. I have been seeing her for ten years, and I think she is finally sick of me. I know she can't cure me....but at least look interested.

Yes, you need a new rheumy! I went to one who only wanted to talk about my weight -and that was when I was 20, and only 15lbs overweight! He dismissed everything I said and basically said I was lazy and that if I put my mind to it, I could train for a triathlon, lose "all that weight", and then I'd feel fine.

20yrs later, I do NOT feel fine, but I have an awesome rheumy and PCP who help me manage.